Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday 21 September, Albanian President Bajram Begaj called for the rights of Albanians in Serbia to be strengthened, in a similar way to how Kosovo treats the Serbian community.
“The rights of Serbs in Kosovo reflect European norms and values, and the same should apply to the Albanian minority in the Presheva Valley, in the south of Serbia”, he said.
“Unfortunately, we still remain concerned about the lack of significant investments and economic incentives in that region”, he added.
The Albanian President referred in particular to the situation of Albanian communities in the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovic and Medvegja, in southern Serbia. In April 2022, a few days before the presidential, parliamentary and partial municipal elections, researchers and activists estimated that almost 6,000 citizens had been removed from the electoral roll because they belonged to the Albanian community.
Mr Begaj also called on the “many countries” that do not recognise Kosovo to do so, not least because of its “contribution to a fairer and more peaceful world community”. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)